Method of manufacturing paper clips



7, 1937. H. D. RANDALL METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PAPER CLIPE Original Filed Nov. 1, 1933 Patented Dec. 7, 1937 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,101,195 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PAPER, CLIPS Howard D. Randall, Cincinnati, Ohio Original application November 1, 1933, Serial No. 696,237. Patent No. 2,047,129, dated July 7, 1936. Divided and this application March 15, 1935, Serial No. 11,307

4 Claims. (01. 140-82) This invention relates to a novel type of paper cated at 12, and this end may also be round clip or the like and a method of manufacturing if desired. same. In manufacturing the clip of this invention a The present application is a division of my length of resilient wire or the like l3, which may 6 United'States LettersPatent of July '7, 1936, No. be either round or angular of cross-section, is 2,047,129, filed November 1, 1933. bent into spiral formation as shown in Fig. 4, An object of the invention is to provide a very and thereafter it is placed between the pressing inexpensive and effective paper clip or the like, die elements l4 and I5 which flatten the spirally distinguishable from others by reason of its spiral wound wire to the extent indicated in Fig. 2. 10 formation and certain advantages resulting from The flattening of the wire, or the heat generated 10 such formation. by the swaging or flattening operation, have the i Another object of the invention is to provide a effect of changin the olecular structure of the novel type of paper clip orthe like, so constructed wire, thereby increasing the resiliency 0f th p that it cannot tear or otherwise damage sheets of te al and rendering the clip more fl t ie paper h d thereby, when t clip is removed and satisfactory than the initially formed spiral 1 from h he t shape of Fig. 4. In other words, a superior prod- A further object of the invention is to provide 110i; results frOm w ng reatment. a novel paper clip or the like having inner and Either before after the swaging p rat outer convolutions with different gripping the material of the C p if s ed, be benderstrengths or compressive forces, whereby either ized or treated with a suitable coating I6 c ta 20 thin or thick stacks of sheets may be effectively ing a gritty 0r frictional material apt d t pr clipped withoutspringing the clip out of shape vide a frictional finished surface upon each of the and detracting from its continued usefulness. convolutions of the clip. Th treatment,

Th foregoing and oth advantages are tever, is not essential to the proper functioning of tained by the means described herein and disthe Clip, a may be emitted if desired- 25 closed in the accompanying drawing, in which: Clips made in accordance with the above teach- Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view of t novel ing are found to tenaciously hold a thin stack of clip of the invention. sheets when the stack is gripped between the ini 2 i id i of th h of i 1, t k ner convolutions, while thicker stacks may more on li 2 ..2 of Fig, 1, readily be held by the outermost spirals or con- 30 Fig 3 is a plan View of a length of wire, which volutions. It is not to be understood that the may be either round or angular in crosshection, thinner stacks of sheets must necessarily be inand from i h th lip is formed serted between the inner convolutions, for the clip Fig, 4 is a plan View Showing t i as t i is sufficiently resilient and forceful to hold the initially bent into spiral formation during manuthinner Stacks between any of the Spiral s- 35 facture of t The clip of Fig. 6, instead of being formed gen- Fig. 5 is a side view showing how the spiral erally circular, is made angular in general conformation of Fig. 4 is flattened or swaged to protour, and it may be produced by the same method duce the ultimate formation of the clip. as is employed vin producing the clip of Fig. 1.

40 Fig. 6 is aplanview of a modification. The disclosure of Fig. 6 suggests clips of square 40 The clip illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is constior other polygonal shapes, made in accordance tuted of a single piece of flattened resilient wire with the above explained method. of a proper length to form a spiral shape having What is claimed is: two or more convolutions I, 8 and 9. Although 1. The method of manufacturing a thin flat any reasonable number of convolutions or spiral paper clip having a high degree of resiliency and 45 turns of wire may constitute the clip, it is found holding power, which method comprises the steps that from three to six thereof provides a clip of bending into a spiral having spaced convoluwhich satisfactorily holds together the sheets of tions, a length of light gauge wire which initially all ordinary sized stacks or compilations of sheets. offers but little resistance to manual bending, and

As is clearly indicated in Fig. 2, the finished then swaging the spiral formation between flat so clip is substantially flat, and has a rounded surfaces with suihcient force to flatten opposite terminal end l0 which is easily formed during sides thereof to result in a thin spiral ribbon forthe single stamping or flattening operation with mation having all points on its convolutions diswhich the entire clip is made. The inner termiposed in a common plane. nal end of the material forming the clip is indi- 2. The method of manufacturing a thin flat 55 paper clip having a high degree of resiliency and holding power, which method comprises the steps of bending into a spiral having spaced convolutions, a length of light gauge wire which initially oflfers but little resistance to manual bending, and then flatly swaging the spiral formation thereby produced, with sumcient force to change the wire convolutions to flat ribbon convolutions, all points of which are disposed in a plane, and to simultaneously enhance the resiliency of the convolutions by reason of the change of molecular structure of the wire resulting from the swaging force.

3. The method of manufacturing a thin flat paper clip havinga high degree of resiliency and holding power, which method comprises the steps of bending, into a substantiallyspiral shape having spaced convolutions, a length of light gauge wire which initially offers but little resistance to manual bending, and then flattening the spiral formation thereby produced, with sufllcient force to change the wire convolutions to flat ribbon convolutions, all points of which are disposed in a plane, and to simultaneously enhance the resiliency of the convolutions by reason of the change of molecular, structure of the wire resulting from the flattening operation.

4. The method of manufacturing a thin flat paper clip having a high degree of resiliency and holding power, which method comprises the steps of bending a length of light gauge wire, which initially ofl'ers but little resistance to manual bending, to a shape which comprises convolutions terminating interiorly and exteriorly of the clip, and

thereafter flattening the shape thereby produced,

with sufllcient force to change the wire convolutions to thin, flat, coplanar ribbon-shaped convolutlons such as to yield upon application of the clip to a compilation of paper sheets, the flattening force serving to enhance the resiliency of the clip by reason of the change of molecular structure of the wire resulting from the flattening operation,

HOWARD D. RANDALL. 

